The present invention relates to refrigerated display cases and, more particularly, to illuminated canopies for refrigerated display cases.
Refrigerated display cases generally include a case defining a product display area for supporting and displaying food products to be visible and accessible through an opening in the front of the case. Refrigerated display cases are generally used in retail food store applications such as grocery or convenience stores or other locations where food product is displayed in a refrigerated condition.
The case includes a top portion, typically referred to as a canopy, located above the opening to the product display area. Some refrigerated display cases include a night curtain that is mounted within the canopy. The night curtain is a thin sheet of flexible material that is adjustable between retracted and lowered positions. In the retracted position, the curtain is rolled within the canopy onto a roll and hidden from view from the front of the refrigerated display case. In the lowered condition, the curtain is unrolled from the roll away from the canopy and toward the bottom of the opening such that the drawn curtain at least partially covers the opening to the product display area. Generally, the curtain is drawn to the lowered position to better isolate the cooled air of the product display area from the ambient air outside of the refrigerated display case. The curtain improves the efficiency of the refrigerated display case while maintaining the food product at the desired temperature when the retail food store is closed (e.g., during nighttime hours), when convenient access to the food products of the product display area is not required.
Most refrigerated display cases include a dedicated first light source that is located below the canopy to illuminate the food products within the product display area. These refrigerated display cases can also include display panels on the front of the canopy. The display panels can be illuminated from behind by a separate, dedicated light source positioned behind the display panels and within the canopy.